Dr Timothy Shriver, nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who visited the Institute of Technology Tralee (IT Tralee) campus on Wednesday, meets members of Tralee Together Special Olympics Club. Photo: Valerie O’Sullivan

UNESCO Chairholder at the Institute of Technology Tralee, Dr Timothy Shriver, nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, is visiting the Institute of Technology Tralee (IT Tralee) campus on Wednesday and Thursday to deliver a keynote address at the college.

The visit by Dr Shriver further demonstrates the commitment and dedication of all parties to support and further ‘inclusivize’ access to health and wellbeing, communities, education, economy and society aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.

Mr Shriver will be the guest of honour at a dinner reception to mark his visit on Wednesday evening and will deliver a keynote address, which is open to the public, on Thursday from 10.00am – 1.00pm at IT Tralee’s North Campus.

Over 100 years since the birth of former U.S. President John F Kennedy, and 50 years since the establishment of Special Olympics by his mother Eunice Kennedy, Dr Timothy Shriver also serves as Chairman of Special Olympics International, which has just concluded the Special Olympic Ireland Games.

Dr Shriver stated that the UNESCO Chair will be at the forefront of supporting inclusivity: “The partnership between Special Olympics and the UNESCO Chair at IT Tralee gives us the opportunity to join our efforts to build a world that accepts and provides for diversity as a norm. Our Chair in Tralee, together with Special Olympics International and all other partners of the Chair, is at the forefront of supporting inclusive access to health and wellbeing, communities, education, economy and society aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Agenda 2030,” he said.

Dr Timothy Shriver, nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who visited the Institute of Technology Tralee (IT Tralee) campus on Wednesday to deliver the keynote address at the college. Dr Timothy met with Emer Moloney and members of The Tralee Together for special Olympics Club ahead of his speech. Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan

Commenting on the visit, IT Tralee President Dr Oliver Murphy said, “We are proud to have Dr Shriver as the Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair at the Institute of Technology Tralee and welcome him wholeheartedly to our county and our campus. Since assuming the Chairholder position in 2017, Dr Shriver has demonstrated a wealth of knowledge and experience in the role, cultivating global partnerships to achieve social change and working for the full and effective inclusion of persons with disabilities in physical education, sport, fitness and recreation, without discrimination.”

Dr Oliver Murphy, President IT Tralee, Dr Timothy Shriver and Dick Spring, Chair of IT Tralee Foundation Board and Former Tanáiste, with Magnus Magnusson, UNESCO Director of Partnerships and Outreach watching a special video ahead of Dr Timothy Shriver, nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who visited the Institute of Technology Tralee (IT Tralee) campus on Wednesday to deliver the keynote address at the college. Photo: Valerie O’Sullivan

While visiting the campus, Dr Shriver will also see progress in the Kerry Sports Academy currently under construction at IT Tralee’s North Campus. The €16.5 million Kerry Sports Academy, scheduled to open in January 2019, aims to cater to participants in all sporting disciplines, regardless of ability. The academy has also been designed with the needs of Paralympic and Special Olympics athletes in mind.

The Institute of Technology Tralee became the first third level institution in the world to receive a UNESCO Chair in 2013 entitled “Transforming the lives of people with disabilities, their families, and community through Physical Education, Sport, Recreation and Fitness”, IT Tralee was awarded the Chair in recognition of its outstanding work completed over many years in the area of inclusion of people with disabilities. The Chair leads a global partnership for mainstreaming diversity through physical education, sport, recreation and fitness.

Dr Oliver Murphy, President IT Tralee, Magnus Magnusson, Director of Partnerships and Outreach, UNESCO, Brid McElligott, Vice-Preident Research and Development and Katharina Schlüter, UNESCO Chair, chatting ahead of Dr Timothy Shriver, nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who visited the Institute of Technology Tralee (IT Tralee) campus on Wednesday to deliver the keynote address at the college. Photo Valerie O’Sullivan

2 Comments

Under the UN definition of Genocide, Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Article II, section c: Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

Why is India allowed to have an Indian homeland with Indian people and Culture.
Asia, the Middle East and Africa too. But, not Europe or any other root European civilisation nations like the USA, Australia or Canada – they have to become mixed race or multicultural – code for non European!